Richmond, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Richmond is a town
in Cheshire County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 1,155 at the 2010 census.
of Massachusetts
. Granted to soldiers returning from the war in Canada
, it was named Sylvester-Canada in honor of Captain Joseph Sylvester of Scituate
, Massachusetts
, who was killed in 1690 during an attempt to capture Quebec. After New Hampshire
became a separate colony, the town was incorporated in 1752 as Richmond by Governor Benning Wentworth
. He named it after Charles Lennox
, 3rd Duke of Richmond
, a staunch advocate of colonial independence. It was settled about 1757 by emigrants from Rhode Island
and Massachusetts.
Hosea Ballou
was born in Richmond. He was a leading 19th-century champion of religious liberalism, and is considered the father of Universalism
in the United States
. Eliza Ballou Garfield, mother of the 20th president, James A. Garfield, was born here.
, the town has a total area of 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²), of which 37.6 sq mi (97.4 km²) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.517997622 km²) is water, comprising 0.53% of the town. Little Monadnock Mountain
, elevation 1883 feet (573.9 m) above sea level
, is within a mile of the eastern boundary, in the town of Fitzwilliam
. The highest point in Richmond is one mile northwest of Little Monadnock, on an unnamed hill whose elevation is 1624 feet (495 m) above sea level
. The Franconia Mountain Range (not to be confused with the much higher ridge in the White Mountains
to the north) is a 1300 feet (396.2 m) high chain of hills in the western part of town.
Richmond is served by state routes 32 and 119
.
of 2000, there were 1,077 people, 379 households, and 285 families residing in the town. The population density
was 28.7 people per square mile (11.1/km²). There were 432 housing units at an average density of 11.5 per square mile (4.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.68% White, 0.37% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.19% from other races
, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 379 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples
living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,141, and the median income for a family was $54,625. Males had a median income of $37,083 versus $27,500 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,174. About 4.6% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
in the 2008 primary
.
, a brick Greek revival-style edifice built in 1837.
Since 1988, Richmond has been the home of Saint Benedict Center, a traditionalist Catholic
community with monastery, convent, chapel, and school.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Cheshire County
Cheshire County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 73,825 people, 28,299 households, and 18,790 families residing in the county. The population density was 104 people per square mile . There were 31,876 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,155 at the 2010 census.
History
The town was first chartered in 1735 by Governor Jonathan BelcherJonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher was colonial governor of the British provinces of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.-Early life:Jonathan Belcher was born in Cambridge, Province of Massachusetts Bay, in 1682...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Granted to soldiers returning from the war in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, it was named Sylvester-Canada in honor of Captain Joseph Sylvester of Scituate
Scituate, Massachusetts
Scituate is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 18,133 at the 2010 census....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, who was killed in 1690 during an attempt to capture Quebec. After New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
became a separate colony, the town was incorporated in 1752 as Richmond by Governor Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766.-Biography:The eldest child of the John Wentworth who had been Lieutenant Governor, he was born and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Wentworth graduated from Harvard College in 1715...
. He named it after Charles Lennox
Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond
Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 3rd Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Aubigny, KG, PC, FRS , styled Earl of March until 1750, was a British politician and office holder noteworthy for his advanced views on the issue of parliamentary reform...
, 3rd Duke of Richmond
Duke of Richmond
The title Duke of Richmond is named after Richmond and its surrounding district of Richmondshire, and has been created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families...
, a staunch advocate of colonial independence. It was settled about 1757 by emigrants from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and Massachusetts.
Hosea Ballou
Hosea Ballou
Hosea Ballou was an American Universalist clergyman and theological writer.-Biography:Hosea Ballou was born in Richmond, New Hampshire, to a family of Huguenot origin...
was born in Richmond. He was a leading 19th-century champion of religious liberalism, and is considered the father of Universalism
Universalism
Universalism in its primary meaning refers to religious, theological, and philosophical concepts with universal application or applicability...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Eliza Ballou Garfield, mother of the 20th president, James A. Garfield, was born here.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²), of which 37.6 sq mi (97.4 km²) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.517997622 km²) is water, comprising 0.53% of the town. Little Monadnock Mountain
Little Monadnock Mountain
Little Monadnock Mountain, , is located in the towns of Fitzwilliam and Troy, New Hampshire. Most of the mountain is located within Rhododendron State Park; there are scenic vistas from ledges just below the summit...
, elevation 1883 feet (573.9 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, is within a mile of the eastern boundary, in the town of Fitzwilliam
Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire
Fitzwilliam is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,396 at the 2010 census. Fitzwilliam is home to Rhododendron State Park, a grove of native rhododendrons that bloom in mid-July.-History:...
. The highest point in Richmond is one mile northwest of Little Monadnock, on an unnamed hill whose elevation is 1624 feet (495 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The Franconia Mountain Range (not to be confused with the much higher ridge in the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
to the north) is a 1300 feet (396.2 m) high chain of hills in the western part of town.
Richmond is served by state routes 32 and 119
New Hampshire Route 119
New Hampshire Route 119 is a long east–west state highway in Cheshire County in southwestern New Hampshire. The highway runs from the Massachusetts border in New Ipswich to Hinsdale on the Vermont border....
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,077 people, 379 households, and 285 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 28.7 people per square mile (11.1/km²). There were 432 housing units at an average density of 11.5 per square mile (4.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.68% White, 0.37% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.19% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 379 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,141, and the median income for a family was $54,625. Males had a median income of $37,083 versus $27,500 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $21,174. About 4.6% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Richmond was the only town in New Hampshire to vote for Ron PaulRon Paul presidential campaign, 2008
Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled...
in the 2008 primary
New Hampshire Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 New Hampshire Republican primary took place on January 8, 2008, with 12 national delegates being allocated proportionally to the popular vote...
.
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Paul Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2008 Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled... |
89 | 34.23% |
| Mitt Romney Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2008 Mitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission... |
52 | 20.00% |
| John McCain John McCain presidential campaign, 2008 John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid to win the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a... |
50 | 19.23% |
| Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2008 Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for the 2008 presidential election in the United States on January 28, 2007... |
36 | 13.85% |
| Rudy Giuliani Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign, 2008 Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign began following the formation of the Draft Giuliani movement in October 2005. The next year, Giuliani opened an exploratory committee and formally announced in February 2007 that he was actively seeking the presidential nomination of the Republican... |
11 | 4.23% |
| Fred Thompson Fred Thompson presidential campaign, 2008 Fred Thompson was a Republican Party primary candidate to represent his party in the 2008 United States presidential election. Thompson has worked as a lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor, and he represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S... |
6 | 2.31% |
| Duncan Hunter Duncan Hunter presidential campaign, 2008 Fourteen-term Congressman and Vietnam War veteran Duncan Hunter of California announced his intentions to run for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States in January 2007. He focused his campaign on the issues of border security, trade, and the war on terrorism... |
2 | 0.77% |
| Other | 14 | 5.38% |
| Total | 250 | 100% |
Religious institutions
At the center of town, called Richmond Four Corners, is the Richmond Community United Methodist ChurchRichmond Community Church
Richmond Community Church is a historic Methodist church on Fitzwilliam Road in Richmond, New Hampshire.The Greek Revival church building was constructed in 1838 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.-External links:*...
, a brick Greek revival-style edifice built in 1837.
Since 1988, Richmond has been the home of Saint Benedict Center, a traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
community with monastery, convent, chapel, and school.
Notable residents
- Hosea BallouHosea BallouHosea Ballou was an American Universalist clergyman and theological writer.-Biography:Hosea Ballou was born in Richmond, New Hampshire, to a family of Huguenot origin...
, clergyman and theologian - Horatio Admiral NelsonHoratio Admiral NelsonHoratio Admiral Nelson was an American-born merchant, manufacturer and political figure in Quebec. He represented Montreal-Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1878 to 1881 as a Liberal....
, merchant and politician - Joseph WeeksJoseph WeeksJoseph Weeks was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was the grandfather of Joseph Weeks Babcock who represented Wisconsin in the United States Congress from 1893-1907. He was born in Warwick, Massachusetts, where he attended the common schools...
, congressman